• Crockpot,  Meats

    Crouton’s Crockpot Venison Roast

    Ditalini’s sister Gina Cannolini came to visit from Michigan, restocking our freezer with venison from our brother-in-law Lengua’s most recent hunting trip. Among the cuts were two bone-in roasts. I decided to look for a good recipe, and one titled…

  • Cooking Club

    Eleventh Rule of Cooking Club

    It’s Paul Ryan’s fault. The On On Gourmet Hash House Harriers met last night at one of Magret de Canard’s many casas to prepare and consume Portuguese food. Magret prepped and cooked the main dish, Bacalhau a Gomes de Sa,…

  • Meats,  Mexican & Tex-Mex,  Stews

    Chili à la David Rainier

    This, over the past few years, has become my go-to chili recipe. It’s not the kind of chili that’ll win a Texas-style cookoff, but it’s homey, rich, and satisfying. —Crouton The Cannolis, Ditalini’s sister Gina and her husband Lengua, visited…

  • Seafood,  Soups

    Clam Chowder

    This is a second-generation DeMenthe family recipe, passed down by my father, Chateaubriand deMenthe.  He made clam chowder every Christmas Eve and we carry on the tradition. Merry Christmas to you, dear readers, from Crouton and Ditalini! Notes We doubled the recipe…

  • Stews

    Crouton’s Beef & Guinness Stew

    We had the richest, beefiest stew at a friend’s home last winter. She told me it was beef & Guinness stew and that I’d find the recipe on line. I pulled a big chuck roast out of the freezer the other…

  • Appetizers,  Soups

    Ditalini’s Gazpacho

    Ditalini’s adaptation of a recipe from a New York Times cookbook: Note: peeling & seeding tomatoes is big, messy work, and there are probably canned alternatives. Some people (Philistines, no doubt) may be tempted to substitute tomato juice.

  • Cooking Club

    Tenth Rule of Cooking Club

    Less is more. When we planned our August culinary trail, we decided on salad Niçoise and cold soups, appropriate to a hot summer in the Southwest (gazpacho, Vichyssoise, cold ramen, and so on). The menu evolved as the date approached,…